Chapter 8 True Form #4
Before the tension could take root again, she dipped her muzzle into the water and, in a swift motion, swung her head, sending a cool splash directly at him.
She didn’t wait for his reaction, giggling as she trudged into the river, the playful sound masking the turmoil twisting inside her.
There was a pause, then laughter; the rich, unguarded sound sent something warm curling low in her stomach, followed by the sounds of the water splashing as he followed.
Damien had been telling the truth. The water wasn’t very deep; it barely reached her knees. Water droplets splashed against her belly with every stride forward, the cool temperature refreshing after a long day.
Once across the river, she stood at the bank, shaking her coat. When he caught up, he gestured to her right. “It’s not far now, just over that hill.”
The hill wasn’t very steep, but it rolled onwards for quite some time.
Droplets of water dripped off her still damp coat and she shivered slightly from the chill of the night.
“I’ve been wanting to ask you something .
. .” she said, breaking the silence. “Did you know? That I was a unicorn the entire time?”
His eyes were downcast, as if he was trying to find the right response.
“You did,” she accused. “You knew.”
His head bobbed in confirmation. “When I first met you, I sensed your magic. Even though it was dormant, I could still feel it. I honestly thought you just hadn’t transformed in a while, not that you didn’t even know.”
“Can all unicorns do that? Feel each other’s magic?”
“No . . . but the reason I can sense you is a complicated one.”
She looked him up and down. He had been openly sharing information about unicorns until now.
His hesitation to share had to mean it was related to whatever brought him to the Grythorn in the first place.
She tilted her head in an inquisitive manner.
“Are you going to tell me why you are here? What brought you to the palace?”
His gaze met hers as he silently mulled over the question. He sighed before asking, “Still consider me the enemy?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.” It was the truth; she didn’t. She might not be his target, but if whatever he was planning involved her home, then he was the enemy, right?
“I wouldn’t be a very smart villain if I revealed my so-called evil plans before they had even happened. Now, would I?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“If it makes you feel better, I have no intention of hurting anyone. If I did, I wouldn’t have been able to enter this kingdom with its blessing of protection from Nina.”
His words of comfort didn’t have their intended effect. The fact he knew about the protection Nina provided made Luna feel uneasy. What else did he know?
Over the hill, there was a long dirt road that was overgrown with patches of grass and weeds.
“Are we still in Grythorn?” she asked.
“Barely.”
At the end of the road was an isolated wood cabin. The exterior, scarred over time by the elements, was rustic brown with cracked windows and a peaked roof.
He stopped just before they reached the door and swirled his horn.
Black magic erupted from the tip and engulfed his entire being.
The shadows disappeared as quickly as they had come, revealing him in his human form.
She glanced away, eyes now on the ground, trying not to look at his naked body.
Her prudish ways must have amused him because he chuckled before loudly saying, “Let’s go in and find what you need.
” Normally, she might have noticed and been puzzled at the volume of his voice, however her attention had drifted to a large stone close to the cabin that had the address etched into it.
She stared at the numbers. 53-4. Those were the same random numbers from the note he had left for her.
He’d given me his address.
Without thinking, her eyes snapped to him, but the questions reeling in her mind came to a full stop as she took in his body. He was beautiful with clothes on, but naked . . . he was simply magnificent.
He chuckled.
Skies above! Had he noticed her gawking? Quickly, she tried to come up with an excuse. Any excuse! “I wasn’t looking!” What the hell was that? “I, erm, I was looking at the house.” Smooth, Luna. Really smooth.
He lifted an eyebrow. “Sure. Of course, you were.” He waved his hand across the surface of the door. A bunch of clicking and banging sounded as locks opened from the inside and the door slowly swung open. Damien walked in, but she didn’t follow.
It didn’t seem polite to walk into a house with hooves. Peering through the open door, she waited patiently for him.
He had put on a navy blue fleece robe that was tied at the waist and was carrying a second robe, draped over his shoulder, as he moved about the small kitchen.
Cupboards and drawers banged open and closed.
She could hear him muttering to himself about how disorganized the house was.
He announced each item as he found them.
“A hair from a fairy. The wings of a bitterstung beetle. Water from the Lake of Glenaridge. Ah! Here we go. Unicornbane dust.” He grabbed a few specks of the herb, dropping them into a glass of water.
He gave the cup a good stir before he returned to Luna’s side.
He reached for her, taking her head gently in his hands and cupped her chin, tipping the glass over to let a few drops land on her face and horn. “Sometimes it takes a second,” he said, blowing on her face the way you would to a small flame hoping to coax it into a fire.
Pain followed almost immediately after.
The liquid burned as it passed from her throat to belly, then an explosion of white light burst from her and pain became all she knew as her body reorganized itself.
She screamed as her legs collapsed beneath her, and her breathing came in short, ragged pants. Her vision blurred, black spots forming as an overwhelming drain consumed her.
When her transformation was finally complete, Damien crouched down and gently placed a robe around her naked body.
She heard him say something, but she was too far gone to understand his words.
The last thing she remembered before falling into darkness was the strange warmth that surged through her as Damien scooped her into his arms.